(Dont’ call this a comeback!)
Can you imagine the scene ? it’s 1859 First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir John Somerset Pakington is interrupted from his mid afternoon nap, “The French have built what?” he roars “A 4000 tonne iron clad battleship sir” replies a worried looking Commodore handing him a grainy photographic plate, it’s a full 5 minutes before Sir John Somerset Pakington speaks “Get me Isaac Watts immediately” Issac Watts a renowned Naval Architect arrives in a hurry, “Watts build me an Iron HULLED battleship, make it twice as big, a lot faster, make it go further and give it bigger and more guns and build it within three years and double away smartly” “Yes Sir”, replied Watts before doubling away smartly.
Commissioned in 1861, on the day she was launched she displaced 9000 tonnes of water and every warship in the world was rendered obsolete.
My daily trip across Portsmouth harbour provides me with many photo opportunities, this one lasted just 5 minutes, I noticed a weather front settle over the horizon as the sun was setting, a nice hue already had me framing shots in my mind, a tiny curtain of deep crimson appeared in the cloud, exiting the ferry and rushing up the walkway I looked back to see the sky was ablaze, noticing fellow passengers stopping and aiming camera phones I decided I needed to try to make it over to the Warrior, arriving slightly out of puff I took a couple of shots, nah needed to get higher!
At sea level the sea looked great but the impact of the blazing cloud was lost as the horizon
rose up, balancing sideways on a rail and taking a picture with the ST1000 is really easy,
you might look a bit of a plum and a prima donna but it is really easy.
